John Kerry and wife dine in Damascus restaurant with Assads in Feb. 2009. In 2011 Kerry said Assad had met all his requests. But in 2013 US said Assad should be bombed-UK Telegraph, 9/3/2013…(No bombs=No free US taxpayer cash)

Syria was, even then, viewed by Washington as a “state sponsor of terrorism”, but US officials argued that returning an envoy to Damascus could help persuade Syria to change its policies on issues including Lebanon, Israel and Iraq.